The Government of Malawi has announced the release of 55,130 metric tonnes of maize as part of its efforts to address the ongoing hunger situation in the country. This was disclosed by Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale in a Ministerial Statement presented in Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister Kawale detailed that 43,130 metric tonnes of the released maize will be directed towards humanitarian aid through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA), while 10,000 metric tonnes will be allocated for price stabilization in hotspot areas through the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).
Despite this intervention, the country faces a significant maize deficit of 773,980 metric tonnes between July 2024 and March 2025. As of June 2024, the National Food Balance Sheet indicates that Malawi has a total maize supply of 1,993,707 metric tonnes, while the projected requirement for the nine-month period is 2,767,682 metric tonnes.
To mitigate the deficit, Kawale informed Parliament that 443,663 metric tonnes of maize is expected to be sourced through food imports and informal cross-border trade. He also noted that as of September 3, 2024, the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) holds 35,000 metric tonnes of maize, earmarked for addressing food security needs and market stabilization during price fluctuations. Additionally, Admarc currently holds 31,000 metric tonnes for direct public sale.
Demonstrating its commitment to tackling hunger, the government has secured an additional K10 billion to procure maize, aiming to meet both current and future demand. “Procurement processes are underway, focusing on sourcing maize locally and regionally to ensure sufficient replenishment before the lean season,” Kawale added.
The minister attributed the food insecurity to the impact of Cyclone Freddy and the El Niño weather phenomenon, which severely affected agricultural output last year and this year. According to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report, approximately 5.7 million people in Malawi are currently food insecure. These households will require 261,574.29 metric tonnes of maize to meet their food needs, either through cash transfer interventions or in-kind food distribution.
Kawale also highlighted that of the USD 197,893,333 needed to address the crisis, approximately USD 111,082,203 has already been mobilized, with contributions from the World Food Programme, World Bank, African Development Bank, and countries including China, Korea, and India, among others.
